<h2>Name</h2>
<p>
Why the name <strong>AL-BAQARAH</strong>?
</p>
<p>
<strong>AL-BAQARAH</strong> (the Cow) has been so named from
the story of the Cow occurring in this Surah (vv. 67-73). It has not,
however, been used as a title to indicate the subject of the Surah. It
will, therefore, be as wrong to translate the name Al-Baqarah into
"The Cow" or "The Heifer" as to translate any English name, say Baker,
Rice, Wolf etc., into their equivalents in other languages or <em>vice
versa</em>, because this would imply that the Surah dealt with the subject
of "The Cow". Many more Surahs of the Quran have been named in the same
way because no comprehensive words exist in Arabic (in spite of its
richness) to denote the wide scope of the subject discussed in them.
As a matter of fact all human languages suffer from the same
limitation.
</p>
<h2>Sequence</h2>
<p>
Though it is a <em>Madani</em> Surah, it follows naturally a <em>Makki</em>
 Surah Al-
Fatihah, which ended with the prayer :"Show us the straight way". It
begins with the answer to that prayer, "This is the Book (that) . . .
is guidance. . ."
</p>
<p>
The greater part of Al-Baqarah was revealed during the
first two years of the Holy Prophet's life at Al-Madinah. The smaller
part which was revealed at a later period has been included in this
Surah because its contents are closely related to those dealt with in
this Surah. For instance, the verses prohibiting interest were revealed
during the last period of the Holy prophet's life but have been
inserted in this Surah. For the same reason, the last verses (284-286)
of this Surah which were revealed at Makkah before the migration of the
Holy Prophet to AI-Madinah have also been included in it.
</p>
<h2>Historical Background</h2>
<p>
In order to understand the meaning of this Surah, we should know its
historical background:
<OL>
<p>
<LI> At Makkah the Quran generally addressed the
<em>mushrik</em> Quraish who were ignorant of Islam, but at Al- Madinah it was
also concerned with the Jews who were acquainted with the creed of the
Unity of Allah, Prophethood, Revelation, the Hereafter and angels.
They also professed to believe in the law which was revealed by Allah
to their Prophet Moses (Allah's peace be upon him), and in principle,
their way was the same (Islam) that was being taught by Prophet
Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him). But they had strayed away from
it during the centuries of degeneration and had adopted many un-
Islamic creeds, rites and customs of which there was no mention and
for which there was no sanction in the Torah. Not only this : they had
tampered with the Torah by inserting their own explanations and
interpretations into its text. They had distorted even that part of
the Word of God which had remained intact in their Scriptures and
taken out of it the real spirit of true religion and were now clinging
to a lifeless frame of rituals. Consequently their beliefs, their
morals and their conduct had gone to the lowest depths of degeneration.
The pity is that they were not only satisfied with their condition but
loved to cling to it. Besides this, they had no intention or
inclination to accept any kind of reform. So they became bitter
enemies of those who came to teach them the Right Way and did their
worst to defeat every such effort. Though they were originally Muslims,
they had swerved from the real Islam and made innovations and
alterations in it and had fallen victims to hair splitting and
sectarianism. They had forgotten and forsaken Allah and begun to serve
mammon. So much so that they had even given up their original name
"Muslim" and adopted the name "Jew" instead, and made religion the
sole monopoly of the children of Israel. 
</p>
<p>
This was their religious
condition when the Holy Prophet went to Al-Madinah and invited the
Jews to the true religion. That is why more than one third of this
Surah has been addressed to the children of Israel. A critical review
of their history, their moral degeneration and their religious
perversions has been made; side by side with this the high standard of
morality and the fundamental principles of the pure religion have been
put forward in order to bring out clearly the nature of the
degeneration of the community of a prophet when it goes astray and to
draw clear lines of demarcation between real piety and formalism, and
the essentials and non-essentials of the true religion. 
</p>
<p>
<LI>At Makkah
Islam was mainly concerned with the propagation of its fundamental
principles and the moral training of its followers. But after the
migration of the Holy Prophet to Al-Madinah, where Muslims had come to
settle from all over Arabia and where a tiny Islamic State had been
set up with the help of the Ansar (local supporters), naturally the
Quran had to turn its attention to the social, cultural, economic,
political and legal problems as well. This accounts for the difference
between the themes of the surahs revealed at Makkah and those at Al-
Madinah. Accordingly about half of this Surah deals with those
principles and regulations which are essential for the integration and
solidarity of a community and for the solution of its problems.
</p>
<p>
<LI>After
the migration to Al-Madinah, the struggle between Islam and un-Islam
had also entered a new phase. Before this the Believers, who
propagated Islam among their own clans and tribes, had to face its
opponents at their own risk. But the conditions had changed at Al-
Madinah, where Muslims from all parts of Arabia had come and settled
as one community, and had established an independent city state. Here
it became a struggle for the' survival of the Community itself, for
the whole of non- Muslim Arabia was bent upon and united in crushing
it totally. Hence the following instructions, upon which depended not
only its success but its very survival, were revealed in this Surah :-
</p>
<OL>
  <LI> The Community should work with the utmost zeal to propagate its
ideology and win over to its side the greatest possible number of
people.
  <LI> It should so expose its opponents as to leave no room for doubt
in the mind of any sensible person that they were adhering to an
absolutely wrong position.
  <LI> It should infuse in it's members (the majority of whom were
homeless and indigent and surrounded on all sides by enemies) that
courage and fortitude which is so indispensable to their very
existence in the adverse circumstances in which they were struggling
and to prepare them to face these boldly.
  <LI> It should also keep them ready and prepared to meet any armed
menace, which might come from any side to suppress and crush their
ideology, and to oppose it tooth and nail without minding the
overwhelming numerical strength and the material resources of its
enemies
  <LI> It should also create in them that courage which is needed for
the eradication of evil ways and for the establishment of the Islamic
Way instead.
</OL>
<p>
That is why Allah has revealed in this Surah such
instructions as may help achieve all the above mentioned objects.
</p>
<p>
<LI> During this period, a new type of "Muslims," <em>munafiqin</em> 
(hypocrites),
had begun to appear. Though signs of duplicity had been noticed during
the last days at Makkah, they took a different shape at Al-Madinah. At
Makkah there were some people who professed Islam to be true but were
not prepared to abide by the consequences of this profession and to
sacrifice their worldly interests and relations and bear the
afflictions which inevitably follow the acceptance of this creed. But
at Al-Madinah different kinds of <em>munafiqin</em> (hypocrites) began
 to appear.
There were some who had entered the Islamic fold merely to harm it
from within. There were others who were surrounded by Muslims and,
therefore, had become "Muslims" to safeguard their worldly interests.
They, therefore, continued to have relations with the enemies so that
if the latter became successful, their interests should remain secure.
There were still others who had no strong conviction of the truth of
Islam but had embraced it along with their clans. Lastly, there were
those who were intellectually convinced of the truth of Islam but did
not have enough moral courage to give up their former traditions,
superstitions and personal ambitions and live up to the Islamic moral
standards and make sacrifice in its way. 
</p>
<p>
At the time of the revelation
of Al-Baqarah, all sorts of hypocrites had begun to appear. Allah has,
therefore, briefly pointed out their characteristics here. Afterwards
when their evil characteristics and mischievous deeds became manifest,
Allah sent detailed instructions about them.
</p>
</OL>
<h2>Theme: Guidance</h2>
<p>
This Surah is an invitation to the Divine Guidance and all the stories,
incidents etc., revolve round this central theme. As this Surah has
particularly been addressed to the Jews, many historical events have
been cited from their own traditions to admonish and advise them that
their own good lies in accepting the Guidance revealed to the Holy
Prophet. They should, therefore, be the first to accept it because it
was basically]y the same that was revealed to Prophet Moses (Allah's
peace be upon him).
</p>
<h3>Topics and their Interconnection</h3>
<p>
These introductory verses declare the Quran to be the Book of Guidance : enunciate the articles of the Faith -- belief in Allah, Prophethood and Life-after-death; divide mankind into three main groups with regard to its acceptance or rejection -- Believers, disbelievers and hypocrites. <strong>1 - 20</strong>
</p>
<p>
Allah invites mankind to accept the Guidance voluntarily and to submit to Him, the Lord and the Creator of the Universe and to believe in the Quran, His Guidance, and in the Life-after-death. <strong>21 - 29</strong>
</p>
<p>
The story of the appointment of Adam as Allah's Vicegerent on Earth, of his life in the Garden, of his falling a prey to the temptations of Satan, of his repentance and its acceptance, has been related to show to mankind (Adam's offspring), that the only right thing for them is to accept and follow the Guidance. This story also shows that the Guidance of Islam is the same that was given to Adam and that it is the original religion of mankind. <strong>30 - 39</strong>
</p>
<p>
In this portion invitation to the Guidance has particularly been extended to the children of Israel and their past and present attitude has been criticised to show that the cause of their degradation was their deviation from the Guidance. <strong>40 - 120</strong>
</p>
<p>
The Jews have been exhorted to follow Prophet Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) who had come with the same Guidance and who was a descendant and follower of Prophet Abraham whom they highly honoured as their ancestor, and professed to follow as a prophet. The story of the building of the Ka`abah by him has been mentioned because it was going to be made the <em>qiblah</em> of the Muslim Community. <strong>121 - 141</strong>
</p>
<p>
In this portion, the declaration of the change of <em>qiblah</em> from the Temple (Jerusalem) to the Ka`abah (Makkah) has been made as a symbol of the change of leadership from the children of Israel to the Muslim Community, which has also been fore-warned to guard against those transgressions against the Guidance that had led to the deposition of the Jews. <strong>142 - 152</strong>
</p>
<p>
In this portion practical measures have been prescribed to enable the Muslims to discharge the heavy responsibilities of the leadership that had been entrusted to them for the promulgation of Guidance. Salat, Fast, Zakat, Haj and Jihad have been prescribed for the moral training of the <em>Ummat</em>. The Believers have been exhorted to obey authority, to be just, to fulfill pledges, to observe treaties, to spend wealth etc., in the way of Allah. Laws, rules and regulations have been laid down for their organisation, cohesion and conduct of day-to-day life and for the solution of social, economic, political and international problems; on the other hand, drinking, gambling, lending money on interest etc., have been prohibited to keep the <em>Ummat</em> safe from disintegration. In between these, the basic articles of the Faith have been reiterated at suitable places, for these alone can enable and support one to stick to the Guidance. <strong>153 - 251</strong>
</p>
<p>
These verses serve as an introduction to the prohibition of lending money on interest. The true conception of Allah, Revelation and Life-after-death has been emphasised to keep alive the sense of accountability. The stories of Prophet Abraham (Allah's peace be upon him) and of the one who woke up after a sleep of hundred years have been related to show that Allah is All-Powerful and is able to raise the dead and call them to account. The Believers, therefore, should keep this fact in view and refrain from taking interest on money. <strong>252 - 260</strong>
</p>
<p>
The theme of <strong>153 - 251</strong> has been resumed and the Believers have been exhorted to spend in the way of Allah in order to please Him alone. In contrast to this, they have been warned against the evils of lending money on interest. Instructions have also been given for the honest conduct of day-to-day business transactions. <strong>261 - 283</strong>
</p>
<p>
The basic articles of the Faith have been recapitulated here at the end of the Surah, just as they were enunciated at its beginning. Then the Surah ends with a prayer which the Muslim Community needed very much at that time when they were encountering untold hardships in the propagation of the Guidance. <strong>284 - 286</strong> 
</p>

